America's Arctic Challenge

Contracting sea ice is making the far north more accessible. Now nations are racing to extend their sovereignty and explore for oil and gas in these increasingly open seas—and the U.S. Coast Guard is trying to keep up by strengthening its own Arctic capabilities. Here's what's happening off the northern coast of Alaska right now.

Nautical Tourism

Nautical Tourism

"Cruise ships are the fastest growing activity in the Arctic, not oil drilling," says James Watson, director of the Interior Department's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. The trip comes with risk: A stricken cruise ship could take days to rescue—and only 10 percent of the Arctic's seafloor has been mapped.

Whale Hunting

Whale Hunting

Inupiat crews hunt whales in open boats launched from the villages of northern Alaska. Western Arctic bowhead whales migrate through the region in the spring and fall. Shell Oil agreed to stop drilling when necessary to avoid interrupting the hunts.